July 08, 2008 06:16 PM Eastern Time 

Eli Manning, Emeril Lagasse Cook U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish for a Cause

JACKSON, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Football giant Eli Manning and celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse teamed up for a live cooking demonstration at An Evening with the Mannings June 21, 2008, in the Mississippi TelCom Center in Jackson, Miss. The pair prepared broiled U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish for the black-tie event, which was part of a continued effort to raise $2.5 million for the future Eli Manning Children’s Clinics at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children in Jackson.

“The event was wildly successful, and the crowd got really involved in the excitement of the cooking demonstration”

As a sponsor, The Catfish Institute (TCI) provided U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish for the celebrity demonstration. Fried Catfish Fingers with Lemony Tartar Sauce was also served to approximately 800 attendees from around the South.

According to BankPlus spokesperson Kristin Cecchettini, the event raised more than $1 million in gross revenue. BankPlus was the presenting sponsor for the event.

“The event was wildly successful, and the crowd got really involved in the excitement of the cooking demonstration,” said Cecchettini. “Overall it was very entertaining.”

The occasion also included live and silent auctions, with items such as a dinner for 16 at the home of Olivia and Archie Manning and VIP tickets to see the New York Giants. The Pat Patrick Band from Nashville, Tenn., provided musical entertainment.

For more information about U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish, visit www.UScatfish.com.

The Catfish Institute was founded in 1986 by catfish feed mills and their producer members with the goal of raising consumer awareness about the benefits of U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish.